Georgia’s Medicaid shift risks undermining dental care for families who need it most

Ihave worked as a dentist in Georgia for two decades.

Through my practice and our mobile outreach program, Help a Child Smile, we have proudly served thousands of low-income children and families, many in areas where we are one of the only providers within driving distance.

But now, a major shift in Georgia’s Medicaid system is threatening to unravel that care.

Earlier this year, the state awarded new contracts for its Medicaid managed care program, overhauling a system that provides health care to millions of people across the state, including foster children, the elderly and disabled individuals.

With little communication to patients or providers, Georgia handed its Medicaid program over to a group of mostly new-to-the-state insurers. That may not sound like much on paper, but on the